Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Jeff Gordon, Drive To End Hunger Join Forces With Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles For High-Speed Adventure At The Sprint Cup Series Race At Charlotte Motor Speedway In The USA; To Include Special Performance By Nickelodeon Star Victoria Justice

Below is a Charlotte Motor Speedway Press Release from AARP:
JEFF GORDON, DRIVE TO END HUNGER JOIN FORCES WITH NICKELODEON'S TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES FOR HIGH-SPEED ADVENTURE AT THE SPRINT CUP SERIES RACE AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Gordon to Drive Special No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet Featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

JEFF GORDON, Drive to end hunger JOIN FORCES WITH Nickelodeon's

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for HIGH-SPEED ADVENTURE AT THE sprint cup series race at Charlotte motor speedway

Gordon to Drive Special No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet Featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

NEW YORK (September 20, 2012) – What does Jeff Gordon have in common with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Beyond a history of breakdancing and a family member named Leo? Turtle Power!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will have a powerful new force joining their crime-fighting team – Jeff Gordon and Drive to End Hunger. Leonardo, the leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will be featured on the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet at the Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 13, 2012.

Off the track, Gordon, AARP and AARP Foundation are teaming up with Nickelodeon's Helping and Leading Others program on Drive to End Hunger, which helps create awareness, resources and solutions around the fight against older adult hunger. The new collaboration will extend Drive to End Hunger and engage a whole new audience of young people. Through a national PSA airing on Nickelodeon channels to reach kids, parents and grandparents, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Gordon hope to leave hunger in their dust. Fans can learn how at www.DriveToEndHunger.org.

“There are nearly nine million Americans age 50-plus who face the risk of older adult hunger,” said Jo Ann Jenkins, AARP Foundation President. “This is an issue that impacts every community, every neighborhood, and every generation. We’re excited to be working with Nickelodeon to engage more people in our work to help people in need put food on the table.”

The famous turtles – Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo -- will bring their fast-action, high-adventure style of fun to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for a weekend of family entertainment, including:

Special 500 Pre-Race Show presented by Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, featuring free concerts with Victoria Justice and Big & Rich – Enjoy special concerts with Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice, the star of Nickelodeon's hit series Victorious and the feature film Fun Size, and Grammy nominated duo Big & Rich, along with a daredevil stunt by high-wire walker Nik Wallenda. Special front stage passes are available for adults and children for each show at 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Family Section, Fun Zone and POWERADE PLAY ZONE – Immerse your family in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adventures with a seat in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Family Section, located in Turn Four of Charlotte Motor Speedway, visit the unique Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Family Fun Zone in the Turn Four Family Section Concourse, where there will be appearances by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, games, activities and photo opportunities for fans young and old. Throughout race day, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will visit the POWERADE Play Zone in the frontstretch fan area for photo opps, Ninja adventures and fun.

Unique race broadcast of the race for young fans – Led by young fans of NASCAR and available exclusively on PRN and Nickelodeon channels, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles broadcast will have a special announcing team of young NASCAR stars covering the race from the broadcast booth and pit road. The broadcast will be available at www.GoPRN.com and through the track broadcast.

Kids' Driver Autograph and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Lunch Party – See the stars of the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for a fun lunch event under the Ford Grandstand on Friday, October 12. Danica Patrick, Ricky Stenhouse and Elliott Sadler are scheduled to appear. Tickets are $20 per child and the event is limited to the first 750 kids. Participants receive a free Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle backpack.

Special ticket packages for Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles invasion of Charlotte Motor Speedway include the Family Four-Pack with tickets for two adults and two kids in the smoke- and alcohol-free Family Section, priced at $118. Children's tickets are free to the Dollar General 300 with an adult purchase. All children must have a ticket. For tickets and information call 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

Drive to End Hunger supports the hunger solutions of AARP Foundation through donations from individuals, corporations and other non-profits and through a unique cause-marketing campaign with NASCAR Cup Champion Jeff Gordon and team owner Rick Hendrick. Since AARP and AARP Foundation launched Drive to End Hunger, the initiative has donated more than 13.1 million meals and driven corporate and individual donor commitments with an expected value of $17 million.

About the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Nickelodeon launches an all-new, CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 11 a.m. (ET/PT) in a special one-hour television event, bringing the turtles up from the sewers with the mythology and comedic sensibility for a new generation of fans. The series stars Jason Biggs (American Pie) as "Leonardo," Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) as "Raphael," Rob Paulsen (Planet Sheen) as "Donatello" and Greg Cipes (Teen Titans) as "Michelangelo." Additional cast members rounding out this iconic hit franchise include Mae Whitman (Parenthood) as "April O'Neil," Hoon Lee (Royal Pains) as "Master Splinter" and Kevin Michael Richardson (Penguins of Madagascar) as "Shredder." The half-hour weekly series is layered with action, fantasy and comedy and draws inspiration from both American and Japanese animation, showcasing a stylistic effect of a printed comic. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will air regularly on Saturdays at 11 a.m. (ET/PT).

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 33rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B). For more information on the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series premiere, visit http://nickpress.com/tmnt

About AARP Foundation

AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. By coordinating responses to these issues on all four fronts at once, and supporting them with vigorous legal advocacy, the Foundation serves the unique needs of those 50+ while working with local organizations nationwide to reach more people, work more efficiently and make resources go further. AARP Foundation is the charitable affiliate of AARP. Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org.

About Charlotte Motor Speedway

For more than 50 years, Charlotte Motor Speedway has set the standard for motorsports entertainment for fans of all ages. Charlotte Motor Speedway is the only race vacation destination where fans can immerse themselves in the heart of NASCAR country. Visitors can attend one-of-a-kind race spectacles such as the Bank of America 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race; take behind-the-scenes speedway and race shop tours; explore the new NASCAR Hall of Fame; and drive an 800-horsepower stock car.

The Bank of America 500 is the only Saturday night race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. Adding to the drama and excitement, the event also serves as a homecoming for drivers and race teams, 90 percent of which are based within a two-hour drive of the legendary 1.5-mile superspeedway.

For ticket and camping information, call 1-800-455-FANS (3267). To stay up to date with everything going on at the Greatest Place to See the Race, log on to www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.

###

Deborah Robinson
President
Victory Management Group PR
Drobinson@vmg1.com
312.505.4336

Scott Cooper
VP, Communications
Charlotte Motor Speedway
scooper@charlottemotorspeedway.com
704.455.3209
Also, from CBSSports.com:

EyeOnNascar

Turtle Power: Jeff Gordon teams up with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Charlotte paint scheme

(Hendrick Motorsports photos)

Jeff Gordon unveiled the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles paint scheme he will run during the Oct. 13 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The paint scheme is being done as a partnership between Gordon, AARP, AARP Foundation and Nickelodeon's Helping and Leading Others program on Drive to End Hunger. As part of the program, national PSA have been airing on Nickelodeon channels to reach kids, parents and grandparents.

I didn't even realize the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had made a resurgence, but I love the paint scheme.

“To have a cool car like this, I know the kids are going to be excited about it,” Gordon said. “They love Nickelodeon, my kids, that's all we DVR, that's all we watch is Nickelodeon programming and I know they're going to big fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The kids love racing and they love the paint schemes. As a parent now, these types of moments are very special.”

If he wins at Charlotte, Gordon promised to breakdance in Victory Lane.

Tags: Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR